BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The 11th-ranked Birmingham-Southern baseball team opened the Blue Wahoos Tournament in Pensacola on Thursday with a doubleheader vs. #25 Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Panthers did not quite click and fell in both contests.
Game 1
In the top of the first,
Eli Steadman and
Andrew Dutton were both hit by pitches to start the game.
Ian Hancock then singled to right centerfield to score the first run of the afternoon. Dutton later scored on a wild pitch to double the BSC lead and take a 2-0 lead early.
Starting pitcher
Josh Leerssen shut the Warhawks out in the opening three innings, but the Panthers were not able to add to their lead. In the bottom of the fourth, Whitewater's bats woke up and unleashed six runs on six hits to take a four-run lead. After adding another run in the fifth, the Warhawks once again had a six-run inning, this time on only four hits with two crucial errors committed by BSC.
With a 13-2 deficit heading into the seventh, the Panthers had a long way to go with only nine outs to spare. Whitewater added another run in the bottom of the inning to reach 14 runs, and
Jackson Webster ended the long scoring drought on an RBI single in the top of the eighth to reach the final score of 14-3.
Records
#11 Birmingham-Southern 10-6 (3-3 SAA), #25 Wisconsin-Whitewater 6-3 (0-0 WIAC)
Game 2
Neither team mustered a hit in the first two innings in game two of the doubleheader. In the top of the third, Whitewater got on the board first by scoring two runs on a passed ball on ball four. BSC, once again, found themselves playing from behind, but
Jackson Webster crushed a ball to center field for an RBI triple to half the deficit in the third inning.
In the top of the fifth, the Warhawks scored on a sac fly for their third run of the game. BSC starter
Drake LaRoche got out of the inning allowing no more hits which meant he allowed three runs in his outing with none of them earned. Whitewater then scored again on an RBI single in the top of the sixth to take a 4-1 lead.
The Warhawks added to their lead again in the top of the seventh on an RBI triple, but freshman
Parker Ladd answered with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning. However, BSC was not able to build off the hit from Ladd and was held scoreless for the remainder of the game. Whitewater added another run in the top of the ninth to solidify the 6-2 win.
Records
#11 Birmingham-Southern 10-7 (3-3 SAA), #25 Wisconsin-Whitewater 7-3 (0-0 WIAC)
Up Next
The Panthers will stay in Pensacola to take on Carroll today, Mar. 15 at 7:00 p.m.
